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From the time a baby is born, it links the provision of food with love as it suckles on its mother’s breast for the first time. As a child, you probably remember being offered a sweet as a treat, or a biscuit to make you feel better. We learn that sugar- and fat-laden foods are treats which are given if we endure the healthy food – “you can have your ice-cream once you have finished your dinner.” Add to this the convenience of fast food, it’s no wonder that childhood obesity is a problem.

In 2010 The World Health Organisation reported that there are around 40 million children under the age of five who are overweight. It is thought that this figure is much higher in the UK – apparently we have the highest rates in Western Europe. All of this despite the education we have around food. And we only have ourselves to blame.

The great news is that we can change it. You are in control of what you put on your table and what you stock your cupboards with. Not so easy is getting used to the language that we use with our children to position healthy food as desirable and junk food as, well, junk. I help a lot of adults lose weight and many of them say that they have so much temptation at home with the crisps and sweets they have in the cupboards for the kids, as though these are necessities. Much better to teach your child that treats are the healthy, colourful foods which make up a healthy diet.

In the nine years to 2009, there was more than a four-fold increase in the number of children requiring hospital treatment for problems associated with obesity. It can lead to conditions such as type-2 diabetes, breathing difficulties, and more. It usually causes low self-esteem as an added bonus. So, teaching your child to have a healthier relationship with food is a great foundation for them in life. Here are some tips:

Make sure there is a lot of colour on the plate – this will provide your child with lots of nutrients for health, mood and brain function.

Make sure portions are child-sized, not adult-sized.

All meals should have protein which is necessary for a growing child and to stave off hunger pangs.

Give them regular meals and healthy snacks in between – a few almonds or a piece of fruit are a great way of providing nutrients and balancing blood sugar. A glass of milk is another option and is great for bones and teeth.

Keep beige food (burgers, fries, biscuits and cakes) to an absolute minimum – call it emergency only food because there is no real food available at the moment. Never, never, never, frame fast food, sweets, biscuits or cakes as a treat.

Instead of using food as a way of soothing emotions, teach your child recognise their emotions and to respond to them in a positive way. It is OK to feel emotions. As humans, we are supposed to feel. However, they should be taught to deal with them in a positive way. Teach them EFT to help them.

Involve them in deciding what to eat – make choosing a new fruit or vegetable a game that they play. Involve them in new and different ways of cooking healthy foods, or of eating them raw. Fruit kebabs are fun, cruditees and vegetable dips too.

Eliminate unhealthy sugars and re-educate their pallet for healthier foods.

Make exercise and activity part of their daily life. This is good for them emotionally, physically and socially. It also keeps their mind off food.

As parents, we are either part of the solution or part of the problem- your children will take their cue from you. If you are concerned for your child’s health and weight, why not book a consultation on 0845 130 0854.

Tricia Woolfreyis an integrative therapist, an advanced clinical hypnotherapist, master practitioner in NLP, nutritionist and author, and utilises bioenergetics to help you be the best you can be. She has practices in Surrey and Harley Street, London. She can be reached on 0845 130 0854www.yourempoweredself.co.uk.

Are you constantly yo-yo dieting? Do you lose weight and then put it all back on again, plus some? Or have you reached a plateau. Losing weight can be a challenge because, unlike stopping smoking where you just don’t smoke again, you still have to eat. Not only that but there is temptation everywhere. What can you do to help yourself?

1. Realistic goals
The first thing to do is set yourself a target with milestones along the way. Unless you are the kind of person who loves big bold goals, smaller goals might be more achieveable for you.

2. Have a big enough ‘why’
Motivation is much stronger than willpower, so make yourself a really long list of all the reasons you want to lose weight. What are the benefits to you? If you are losing weight for someone else it will not be nearly so effective. This is a journey you take for your own benefit.

3. Keep hydrated
A lot of people confuse thirst with hunger. Make sure you keep hydrated throughout the day and, if you do get hungry, drink a glass of water and wait 10 minutes before deciding if you realy want to eat.

4. Variety is the spice of life
Sometimes our bodies just crave nutrients rather than any old food. So do make sure that you keep your food intake varied so that you are getting all the nutrition you need and to avoid boredom. Who wants to live on beige food every day?

5. Be wary of the saboteurs
It is strange that as soon as you say you are on a diet, people seem to want to feed you cakes and biscuits like never before. “Just one” is a constant refrain. Manage these by saying you are full and couldn’t eat another thing. Or, if they buy you chocolates, just say that they don’t agree with you. It makes life a lot easier and your weight loss goal more achievable.

6. No more waste on waist
Eating leftovers, snacking and huge portions are not going to save anyone starving in Africa but they will cause your waistline to expand. Make it a rule that you are no longer going to treat your body like a rubbish bin. Remember that you only need to eat 500 calories a day more than your body needs to put on 1lb a week. That’s 3.5 stones a year!

7. Staying regular
It is important that your bowels function efficiently so do be sure to eat plenty of fibre and drink lots of water. Avoid laxatives though as they can make your bowels lazy and can compound the problem. If you still have problems, do contact Tricia Woolfrey on 0845 130 0854 for a consultation. Regular bowel movements are important for your weight and your health. For more information on fibre-rich food, the Meal Planner will help you.

8. Manage your energy
When your blood sugar is low you will be very tired and crave the wrong foods. So, to keep your blood sugar stable eat little and often and ALWAYS eat breakfast so that your metabolism gets a boost. Reduce sugar, white bread, pastries, white pasta and cakes. If you have to have sugar do eat it with a healthy meal as it helps to stabilise your energy.

9. Manage your emotions
Most people eat too much because they are eating in response to their emotions. If you find that you crave a specific food it is likely that this is emotional hunger rather than physical hunger. Learning how to understand your emotions and respond to them appropriately is essential. The Food Diary will help you to understand your eating, while Ultimate Weight Loss CD will help you overcome emotional eating habits. Food only distracts you from your problems it is no solution to them.

10. Eliminate food intolerances
Sometimes people find it hard to lose weight because they are eating foods they are intolerant to. Having a food intolerance test can help you understand what foods your body is struggling with. Click here to find out more.

About the Author
Tricia Woolfrey is an advanced clinical hypnotherapist, coach and wellness practitioner. She is also a master practitioner in obesity issues and eating disorders. Author of self-help books, CDs and MP3s she has practices in Byfleet Village, Surrey and Harley Street, London. www.yourempoweredself.co.uk.

Snoring can sound comical, but it isn’t funny being kept awake night after night and it can put a strain on your health and your relationship. It is very difficult to feel loving towards someone who keeps you awake all night while they are enjoying blissful sleep.

There are two aspects to how snoring can affect sleep: one is from the perspective of the snorer and one is their unlucky bed companion. Sometimes the snorer will wake themselves up, or suffer from sore throats. Often, however, the snorer is completely unaware of the problem. Not-so their partner.

Snoring can be defined as a coarse sound made by vibrations of the soft palate and other tissue in the mouth, nose & throat (upper airway). It is caused by turbulence inside the airway as you breathe.

If you are the snorer, there can be a number of physical reasons which are causing your snoring. Often it is exacerbated by alcohol, weight, smoking or medication. Other physical causes of snoring can vary from mispositioned jaw, blocked sinuses, allergies, deviated septum, polyps, the size or position of the tongue, or narrow airways.

Often, just changing your sleep position and/or losing weight will help to resolve the problem. Other remedies include stopping smoking, reducing your alcohol intake and treating allergies. Occasionally the problem can be rectified, with either a mouth guard, or through surgery, depending on the cause of the snoring.

If your partner snores and you find yourself staring at the ceiling night after night thinking murderous thoughts, the issue is more around your focus. I remember living under a flight path for several years. Planes, including Concorde, would fly over every 3 minutes and we thought we would go crazy. In time, we learned how to tune out and pause before resuming our conversation like nothing had happened. You have also probably had the experience where you have a headache or a toothache, but some good news or a funny program on the TV, makes you forget all about it. These are all examples of changing focus.

So, instead of waiting for the snoring to start – which makes you hyper-sensitive to it – focus your attention on something else. Self-hypnosis is a terrific way of doing this. Self-hypnosis can be used simply to relax, or to get you to focus on something else – a change you want to make perhaps. You might also want to think about having hypnotherapy with a professional who can help you to not notice the snoring so that you can enjoy a restful and restorative sleep. My book "An Inside Job" teaches you how to do this for yourself simply and effectively and even has a CD to guide your self-hypnosis practice. Another option is to listen to a hypnosis recording such as Sleep Well which will ease you into relaxing sleep.

Today is World Cancer Day. With cancer causing one in four of all deaths in the UK and one in three people likely to contract cancer in their lifetime, it makes sense to take preventative action to ensure that you don’t become a statistic yourself.

There are more than 200 types of cancer and causes range from lifestyle, genetics and environment. Whilst nothing is guaranteed, there is a lot you can do to help safeguard yourself against this disease:

Eat organic food whenever possible – especially meat

Eat plenty of fibre

Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables

Cancer feeds off sugar so keep your sugar intake to a minimum

Have a supplement program to make sure that your body is in tip-top condition

Enjoy regular exercise

Reduce your exposure to toxins such as pesticides found in non-organic food and parabens found in cosmetics and toiletries

With smoking causing almost 20% of all cancers, make sure you aren’t exposed to tobacco smoke

It makes sense to take responsibility for your body and your health have an assessment to make sure you are in tip-top condition. To celebrate World Cancer Day, I am offering a 25% discount if you book before the end of the week. Call 0845 130 0854.

A food allergy, on the other hand, is caused by the immune system, rather than the digestive system and can lead to anaphylactic shock. It can also be caused by bee stings and medication. The reaction can be immediate, severe, and life threatening. Common symptoms can be hives, swollen tongue or lips and/or fainting. Even a trace amount can have this affect. Common allergens are shellfish, eggs, milk and peanuts. If you have a food allergy, it is likely that your doctor will prescribe an Exipen for emergency self-treatment.

Other than that, both conditions are usually treated in a similar manner – cutting out the offending item. With a food intolerance, it may be possible to have small amounts of the offending food but, in developing a protocol for you, it would first of all be important to strengthen your digestive system so that you can tolerate a wide variety of foods in moderation. I believe that the reason we have a lot of wheat intolerances is because it is all too-easy to have wheat as a main component of every meal and we are simply overloading our systems.

The cause of food intolerances can be varied from poor enzyme function, affecting your ability to digest food effectively, Celiac Disease (where a person is unable to digest gluten), food additives such as dyes, or sulfites in wine and canned goods, and stress.

If you think you may have a food intolerance, why not book a test. With the Asyra Pro we can not only check which foods you are intolerant to but also check out your gastro-intestinal system to see if there are any weaknesses which need to be dealt with. To book an appointment call 0845 130 0854. For more information visit www.yourhealthuk.com or www.pw-hypnotherapy.co.uk. Remote food intolerance tests can also be conducted.

Tricia Woolfrey is an integrative therapist, an advanced clinical hypnotherapist, master practitioner in NLP, nutritionist, practitioner of food intolerance and allergy testing and author. She has practices in Surrey and Harley Street, London. She can be reached on 0845 130 0854www.pw-hypnotherapy.co.uk.